According to him, there was only a slim chance to reach a mutually acceptable solution on the name dispute in the next 24 hours.
           
"When two countries - one a member of the Alliance, and the other one aspirant for membership - have a problem like this, the member-country cannot allow for the aspirant to achieve its goal," said Koumoutsakos.
           
He added that the Alliance is not just a group of countries joined in a military and political alliance, but that they also shared common values.
           
The Greek foreign ministry spokesman said that Macedonia violated good-neighborly relations with Greece and that it did not deserve to become a member of the Alliance yet.

Greece's view was supported by France, Italy, Spain and to some extent Iceland and Luxembourg. Official vote is to be casted  Thursday afternoon.